ψάμμος

Forms

ψᾰ́μμος (psámmos) f or m (genitive ψᾰ́μμου); second declension^[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.^[1] Beekes thinks it a Greek innovation that recalls ἄμαθος (ámathos, “sand”).^[2] It may stand for an older *ψάφμος (*psáphmos), as γράμμα (grámma) stands beside γράφω (gráphō); it would then belong with ψαφαρός (psapharós, “crumbling, sandy”) and ψῆφος (psêphos, “pebble”), and further with Latin sabulum (“sand”).^[2][3][4] A connection with ψῆν (psên, “to rub”) has also been suggested, but the formation is unclear.^[2][1]

Deroy derived ἄμαθος, ἄμμος (ámmos), ψάμαθος (psámathos) and ψάμμος from a Pre-Greek root *sam- meaning “sand, mud”.^[2] ψάμαθος and ἄμμος may be crosses between ἄμαθος and ψάμμος.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Homer, who otherwise uses ψάμαθος (psámathos), has ψάμμος once, in the Odyssey.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

It became the usual word for the sand of the shore, the sea floor and the desert, and Herodotus also uses it for the sandy desert of Libya.^[3][5] Sand stood for what cannot be counted: in Pindar it “escapes number”, and an oracle quoted by Herodotus claims to know the number of the sand.^[3][5] To “plait a rope of sand” was labour in vain, and the Wisdom of Solomon uses sand for something worthless.^[3] Archimedes treats it as masculine.^[3] The alchemists used the plural for a metallic ore.^[3]

Modern Greek ψάμμος (psámmos) is a learned word whose meaning follows French sable.^[6][4]

Timeline

• Homer – The Odyssey uses it once.^[3][2]
• 6th–5th century BC – Pindar says that sand escapes number.^[3][7]
• 5th century BC – Herodotus uses it for the sand and for the Libyan desert.^[3][5][7]
• 3rd century BC – Archimedes uses it as a masculine noun.^[3][7]

Meanings

Noun

1. Sand, of the shore, the sea floor or the desert; in the plural, grains of sand.^[3][5]
2. The sandy desert.^[3][5]
3. (alchemy, plural) A metallic ore.^[3]

Word family

• ψάμμινος (psámminos)
• ψαμμοδύτης (psammodútēs)

Related words

• ἄμαθος (ámathos)
• ἄμμος (ámmos)
• ψάμαθος (psámathos)
• ψῆφος (psêphos)
• Latin sabulum

Usage notes

Proverbs: “to plait a rope out of sand” (ἐκ ψάμμου σχοινίον πλέκειν) was said of labour in vain, and “worth sand” of something worthless.^[3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010), Etymological Dictionary of Greek, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 10, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
5. ^ a b c d e Diggle, James, et al., eds. (2021), The Cambridge Greek Lexicon, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
6. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
7. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge